‘Through the Five Passes’: Apple highlights iPhone’s cinematic prowess in CNY film

Award winning director Peng Fei and director of photogrpahy Luo Dong used only iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, no fancy lenses or additional heavy-duty equipment to shoot this nearly 18-minute-long heart-warming Chinese New Year film.

For the sixth year, Apple has a new ‘shot entirely on iPhone’ film for this time of the year. The latest spot,'Through the Five Passes', created with TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai is a story about the core Chinese virtue of resilience and one man’s perseverance in keeping the art of Chinese Opera alive.

The film revolves around a young opera performer as he awaits his turn for the first big performance. While waiting backstage, he starts chatting with other artists and has flashbacks of all the past struggles of performance and skills.

Going through a rollercoaster of emotions, the celebration of grit, courage and determination is intricately captured and beautifully portrayed through iPhone 14 and 14 Pro Max’s action mode, low-light, and cinematic mode features.

Tracing back to the first dynasty of Imperial China, opera has played a key part in Lunar New Year traditions—the film ends with a spotlight on troupes of professionals that are keeping the art alive.

"Through the Five Passes" is running on digital, social and paid media in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and available on YouTube in US and Canada. 

Apple has also released a behind-the-scenes film revealing the film-making process. 

Apple's 2022 CNY film 'The Comeback' can been seen here. 

Credits 

Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai 

Director: Peng Fei

Director of photography: Luo Dong

Music: Varqa Buehrer